Announcement Letter from Rt. Rev. Mark A. Engel, Bishop Ordinary
June 29, 2025
Feast of Peter and Paul Apostles
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
By God’s abundant grace and strong, keeping power, I celebrated my 70th birthday on April 2nd of this year. In light of this milestone, I am writing to you today to inform you that Terri and I have decided that 2027 is the right time for me to retire from serving as the ADGL Diocesan Bishop.
This decision has not been made lightly or unadvisedly. For more than a year, we have prayed for clear discernment from the Lord, discussed this with our family, and sought wisdom from godly counselors and my spiritual director. A clear sense of united agreement has grown that this is the right timing for such a transition.
Over the course of the many months of our discernment, I have discussed with the ADGL Standing Committee the importance of careful and prayerful planning for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor. This approach to a new season of focused, fruitful mission in our diocese seems prudent and will offer the smoothest transition of episcopal leadership. The Standing Committee has concurred and has already been at work to develop an appropriate 18 to 24-month plan for the implementation of a robust process resulting in a Bishop Coadjutor for the ADGL. In our ACNA College of Bishops meeting on June 18, 2025, we received unanimous consent to begin the process for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor.
This process will include the search, election, and College of Bishops’ consent culminating in the consecration of our Bishop Coadjutor. A subsequent season of ministry as Coadjutor will help prepare him for his investiture as the next Bishop
Ordinary of the ADGL. You will hear more details on this plan from the Standing Committee in the months ahead.
Throughout these next two years, I will continue to give my very best to serve you as your Bishop Ordinary, the Lord being my Helper. I will continue to seek His wisdom and enabling favor that I may fulfill my purpose in the ministry of a bishop according to the Constitution and Canons of the ACNA.
ACNA CANONS TITLE III Canon 8
Section 2 - Concerning the Ministry of Bishops
By the tradition of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, Bishops are consecrated
for the whole Church and are successors of the Apostles through the grace of the Holy Spirit
given to them. They are chief missionaries and chief pastors, guardians and teachers of doctrine,
and administrators of godly discipline and governance.
In my February 2021 pre-consecration retreat, the Lord made it clear to me by His Spirit through His Written Word that my consecration as a bishop was not for my sake, but “...for your sake…”. He then directed me to seek the intercessory prayers of his people according to Psalm 78:70-72
“He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds;
from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people,
Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them
and guided them with his skillful hand.”
I encourage each of you to subscribe to the ADGL Diocesan Newsletter for timely updates and to enable you to fully participate in giving important input to help shape our search process. You can easily subscribe at ADGL Newsletter.
I ask you again today for your prayers on behalf of Terri and me as we journey with Jesus, our Savior and Lord in this next season, especially that God would grant me an upright heart and a skillful hand to shepherd and guide God’s beloved in the ADGL. I also commit to pray with you and for you as this new season of leadership transition begins to unfold.
Please pray with me:
“Go before us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor,
and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued,
and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, through your mercy,
obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
(BCP 2019, #76. For Guidance)
Your servant for Jesus’ sake,
The Rt. Rev. Mark A. Engel
Summer Preaching Series
All of us are currently located somewhere.
On the map, we have a geography: we live in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, or Indiana.
But we also have a spiritual location.
My guess is all of us experience some sort of dissatisfaction with both our current geographic and spiritual locations. Not that we hate Cincinnati, but we’re painfully aware that this world is NOT how its supposed to be. We live in a 24/7 news cycle of discouraging politics, experience a constant barrage of advertisements, fake news, and scammers trying to steal our attention or our money. Our stress has put us on a hamster wheel of bad habits and addictive behaviors that are draining our life and our joy. Our lives have us constantly busy. We’d love to be contemplatives but we can’t stop being consumers. We’d love to worship God but everything in our lives pushes us to worship self. We want to love but we’re so afraid, angry, or resentful. And if we stop to think about it, it might make us scream the words of the Psalmist from Psalm 42, “where can I go to meet with God?”
If you relate to any of the above, then I have good news for you. As the late Christian pastor and author Eugene Peterson writes, “there is an old dog-eared songbook,” in the Bible for people fed up with their current geographical and spiritual location who want to press into a genuine and lifelong journey of pursuing Jesus. Peterson says “I have used this songbook to provide continuity in guiding others in the Christian way and directing people of faith in the conscious and continuous effort that develops into maturity in Christ.”
What is this old dog-eared songbook? It is the Psalms of Ascent.
The Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) are 15 psalms that were likely sung, possibly in sequence by Jewish pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem to the great festivals. “This picture,” Peterson writes, “of the Hebrews singing these 15 psalms as pilgrims up to Jerusalem is our best background for understanding life as a faith-journey….singing the 15 psalms is a way both to express the amazing grace and to quiet the anxious fears.”
This summer, from June 15th through the end of August, we will preach through the Psalms of Ascent, using Eugene Peterson’s book “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction,” to help us consider themes of discipleship encountered in the life-long Christian journey. These themes include repentance, worship, service, security, joy, work, perseverance, hope, humility, community and more.
We hope you’ll join us this summer and we hope that as we sing, pray, and study these psalms together, you will find God’s encouragement for your own spiritual journey and encounter Him with you leading you forward wherever you find yourself presently located.
Series Companion Book & Book Study
This summer, we will be using Eugene Peterson’s book “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society” to help guide our journey through the Psalms of Ascent. You can order your own copy of the book and read along as go. Want to study or discuss the book with others? Use the link below to sign up for the “Long Obedience” book study Jamie Noyd will be leading this summer!
Summer Formation Opportunities
This summer, we are offering a variety of ways for you to deepen your relationship with Jesus as well as your connections with others in our church. Check out the descriptions of all our summer formation opportunities including Dinners for 9, Evening Prayer, Eugene Peterson Book Club, & Mini-Pilgrimages.
Dinners for 9
Sign-up to have dinner with someone you don’t know or have been meaning to get to know. We have a variety of families hosting laid-back meals for 9 adults + kids in homes all throughout the city and all summer long. The first one is coming up on May 31st so grab your spot today!
Evening Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the historic core of Anglican devotional life, built to shape and empower the prayer life of Christians with scripture and ancient theological truth. Be a part of building the Mission Cincinnati’s culture of prayer, and enliven your own prayer life at Evening Prayer, weekly on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM in June and July at the church. Contact host Albert Gustafson for more details:
Summer Book Club
Join in a discussion of Eugene Peterson’s book: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Using Psalms 120-134, Peterson shows how “Scripture and prayer fuse to provide energy and direction to those of us who set out to follow Jesus.” We’ll meet on four Sundays following the worship service: June 15, 29, July 13, 27. The group will start with the first two chapters and then decide how much we want to read for each gathering. Sign Up below to let us know your coming! Contact Jamie Noyd at jamie.noyd@gmail.com if you have questions.
Mini-Pilgrimages
This summer, take a couple of hours out of the ordinary to slow down and walk with God and others. These mini-pilgrimages in local parks will lead you into stories of scripture and places; into practices of prayer and community; and into reflections on your walk with Jesus. This year, the scripture focus will be on the Psalms of Ascent. Everyone is welcome - women, men, and children.
June 21, 10am-12pm: Devou Park, Park Hills, Kentucky
July 26, 10am-12pm: International Friendship Park, Cincinnati Riverfront
We invite you to join us and encourage friends and family to come along! Contact Jamie Noyd at jamie.noyd@gmail.com for more information.
Ask a Therapist Series: Parenting Workshop
July 12th from 10:00am-12:00pm (childcare drop off at 9:45am)
Fee: $35 per household (scholarships available for Mission folks) payable to Learn2Thrive
Childcare Fee: $10 cash (bring payment with you day of)
Register with Amanda at admin@L2t.org
Parenting is not for the faint of heart!!! Do you sometimes feel “flat” in your parenting and then later want to “pull your hair out”? Do you know what your child’s behavior is telling you or what your response is telling them? Parent-child bonding is of paramount importance for the developing child to develop self-esteem and emotion regulation which are critical components for self-leadership in adulthood. Our church wants to enrich and support our parents in their vital role in their children's emotional and relational wellbeing. We also want to provide our parents with an opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to experience our church’s investment in strengthening parents so that as a church we contribute to the wellbeing if those in our communities.
Come learn how to “keep your cool” while parenting this summer with parenting expert, Hannah Fay, a therapist at Learn2Thrive, a therapy practice in Kenwood run by our church member, AudrieAna Gardner. In addition to her role as the Child & Adolescent Coordinator at the practice, Hannah has parenting experience as is a former missionary and house parent for adolescents in Mexico and as a parent herself.
At this interactive parenting workshop, Hannah will teach parenting principles that are relevant across the developmental stages for early childhood, school age children, and adolescents (what we affectionately call Littles, Middles, and Teens). In addition to the principals, specific examples and applications for various ages and stages of child development will be discussed. During the second part of this workshop, you will be provided an opportunity to bring specific questions about your parenting and receive some feedback on how to apply the principles to your particular needs. Here are some of the topics that will be discussed:
What it means to be a calm, regulating presence (even when they’re melting down)
• The difference between routines and rituals—and why both matter
• How to repair well when things go off the rails
• Tools for attuning to your child’s cues—and your own needs too
Hannah Fey, LISW
Rev. Kristen’s 2025 Spring & Summer Sabbatical
Dear Mission Family,
It is hard to believe but I have now been serving at the Mission Cincinnati for 7 years. It’s been a wonderful opportunity, filled with the joys and challenges of church planting and a global pandemic. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to serve you all over these many years now. I am also now grateful that you all will be gifting me with a 3-month Sabbatical starting on Monday, May 5th. Just as William’s Sabbatical was a blessing to him and his family last year, I know my Sabbatical will be a blessing to me, as well. Thank you so much allowing me to enter into this time of rest and refreshment.
With my Sabbatical just around the corner now, I thought I would take a few minutes to tell you what I will be doing and to ask for your prayers. So, starting with the month of May, I will have a couple of weeks at home to pray, pack, and hopefully purge my house of items I have collected over the years that I just do not use anymore. I am grateful for my material blessings, but I also realize that too much stuff can be a distraction and can take us away from focusing on what it is important.
Also during the month of May, I will be going to Disney World for a time of play. The ministry life is most definitely a gift, but between my work, my particularly personality, and the reality of my singleness, I sometimes do not enjoy the lighter side of life as much as I could, and I actually believe that play can be a spiritual discipline that allows us to enter into the joy for which God created us. So, with this in mind, I’ll be spending 9 nine days enjoying animals at the Animal Kingdom Park and Lodge, enjoying a taste of different cultures around the world at Epcot and Animal Kingdom Lodge, and embracing imagination, whimsy, and fun at all the theme parks.
Then, for the month of June, I’ll be heading to Williamsburg, VA for a little over a month. Williamsburg is where I spent all my summers growing up, where I went to college, and where my parents and my brother’s family live. I am excited to go “home” and to connect with my family and friends there. While I am there, I intend to attend Incarnation Anglican Church; perhaps see if I can volunteer with a ministry of our diocese that is in Newport News, VA; and read and work on writing my paper for my doctoral project.
Then in July, I’ll head to Iona, Scotland for a little over two weeks. Iona is a beautiful little island in the western part of Scotland where St. Columba led a Celtic monastic community in the 6th century. From there, Columba planted around 300 churches. So, first I’ll head on out to Iona, which will involve taking a plane, train, ferry, bus, and ferry to get there. Then, for the first week, I will be staying alone in a pod in the middle of a sheep field. I will daily attend morning and evening Eucharist at the Bishop’s House, daily engage in practices through a week-long version of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, and will of course make time for afternoon tea! Then, I will meet up with 6 other pilgrims and stay in Iona for another five days. My intent during this time is to really draw close to Jesus.
Towards the end of July, I will return to Cincinnati for about a week and then I’ll be back at the Mission on August 4th. So, it will be a full Sabbatical and I could not be more excited about it. While I won’t be in touch with you during this time, I would appreciate your prayers – that this would be a time of deep refreshment for my soul, that I would draw closer to God, that I would have a sweet time with my parents and family, and that through it all, I would look and act just a little more like Jesus. Also, I would ask for prayers to make progress on my Dmin work, which I have put on hold for the last year.
And while I will not be looking at or responding to texts or emails during this Sabbatical time, I will post some pictures on Facebook. If you are on Facebook with me, feel free to interact with those posts; I would welcome that. So, friends, that is what I will be up to this Sabbatical. Thanks again for making this possible, and I look forward to connecting with you on Sunday, May 4th before I head on out on my Sabbatical Journey.
In Christ,
Rev. Kristen
Holy Week Schedule
Holy Week is the climax of the Christian calendar. In Holy Week, Christians remember the events of the last week of Jesus’s life: His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, His last supper and washing of His disciples’ feet on Maundy Thursday, His sufferings, crucifixion, and death on Good Friday, and finally, His resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday. Below is the full schedule of our Holy Week services and some notes of the specific things you can expect to experience at each. We’d love to invite you to join us on this sacred journey as we contemplate the Mighty Acts of Jesus during the final week of His life.
Palm Sunday | 4/13 - 10 AM
Our children will begin our service with a special processional with Palm Branches and a song of worship to King Jesus. Together, we’ll remember Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Maundy Thursday | 4/17 - 6-8 PM
Join us in the lounge room at the church as we share our final beans and rice meal of the Lenten season. After dinner, Fr. William will lead a space for prayer in the lounge and Rev. Kristen will offer footwashing in the sanctuary.
There will be no childcare offered during this evening, however children of all ages are invited to join with parents in dinner, prayer, and footwashing.
Please RSVP using the link below by Sunday 4/13 if you plan to attend:
Good Friday | 4/18 - 6:30 PM
Join us for a solemn evening service of music, prayer, and a short reflection by Rev. Kristen as we remember Jesus’s sufferings, crucifixion and death. There will not be childcare during Good Friday service, but children are invited to join with their parents in worship. The service will conclude in silence, but you invited to stay and pray or journey the stations of the cross after worship.
Easter Sunday | 4/20 - 10 AM
Our greatest celebration of the year! Come join us as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead: the turning point of history with joyful music, special liturgy, a sermon by Fr. William, and new Eastertide artwork from artists around the world. We’ll have extra seats and the balcony will be open so bring your family and friends to share in the joy!
There will be no Godly Play or Nursery during Easter Sunday worship so our whole church family can join in celebration together, but children of all ages are welcome to join in worship. We will have a surprise musical gift for every kid in attendance!
Preparing for Lent 2025
Christians throughout history and across the world today have observed Lent as a 40 day season of “bright sadness” in which we enter an intentional desert with Jesus (cf. Luke 4) and give up certain things even as we take on new spiritual practices. In Lent, we focus on themes of penitence, lament, and our need for God. Entering intentionally into these practices and this season helps prepare our hearts to receive afresh the joyous Good News of Easter and Jesus’s resurrection. This year, we’ve prepared an intentional journey for you to engage in as much or as little as you desire or are able to help us press into the spiritual practices of Lent and draw closer to Christ in this time.
Sunday Sermons
We will spend Sundays in Lent preaching through Jesus’s Sermon on the Plain from Luke chapter 6. In Epiphany we hear Jesus commission His disciples to go into all nations making new disciples and “teaching them to obey all I commanded you.” The Sermon on the Plain, like its companion teaching The Sermon on the Mount is one of the core recorded teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. It speaks of the type of character and relationships with others that Jesus desires to see formed in the life of His followers through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we explore The Sermon on the Plain, each week we will highlight a different Lenten spiritual practice and involve that practice in some way in our weekly worship service.
God on the Ground Guide
In addition to teaching on different Lenten spiritual practices, we’ll offer a practical, easy-to-follow guide we hope you’ll use to press into these different spiritual practices of Fasting, Silence, Almsgiving, Forgiveness, & Service either by yourself or with others this Lent. The guide is centered around a weekly meal where you are invited to fast from your usual dinner choice and instead eat a simple meal of beans and rice. The guide provides a liturgy for each meal to help you reflect on and engage with a different practice. Some weeks you are called to reflect or be silent, other weeks you are challenged to act in generosity or service. You can follow the God on the Ground Guide on your own, with others you invite from our church, or as a part of your Mission Community. Printed copies of this guide will be available on the table in the hallway at church on Sundays 3/2 & 3/9 as well as after Ash Wednesday. You can view, download and/or print a digital version of the guide using the link below.
Seasonal Generosity & Serving Focus
Even as we engage practices to focus and find renewal in Christ inwardly, we will also invite you to engage outwardly in this season as we partner with 2 local ministries: Catholic Charities of Southwest OH and their refugee resettlement work & Last Mile Food Rescue and their mission to eliminate food waste and hunger in Cincinnati. How will we partner?
We’ll donate 100% of our loose offering on Sundays in March & April to these organizations (50% each)
The Mission will match up to $500 in loose offerings given as an additional donation from our operating funds to each organization
On Sunday, March 23rd we invite you to BRING ITEMS TO DONATE to local organizations to worship and pile them around the altar. These items include:
Large Stock Pots & ethnic food items for refugee families
Kroger Gifts Cards for local homeless (to be donated to Norwood resident Jeff Holmes to distribute through his compassion ministry to local homeless men and women)
Laundry detergent, hygeiene products, and household cleaning supplies to be donated to Diane Prather’s Norwood Helping Norwood Minsitry to distribute to local families in need.
On Sunday April 6th a representative from Last Mile Food Rescue will share with us in worship and you will be invited to serve on a food rescue mission that week as a part of the God on the Ground Lenten journey.
You can learn more about our Lenten Ministry Partner Organizations Below:
Ash Wednesday
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a day when Christians start the Lenten Journey by remembering our mortality. We’ll gather at 6:30 PM for a 1-hour service featuring a short reflection by Fr. William, seasonal music, the imposition of ashes and communion. Childcare will not be provided during this service, but children are welcome to join in worship!
Stations of the Cross
During Lent, our sanctuary seasonal artwork will be the 14 stations of the cross created by Benjamin Thomas who served on staff with us at the Mission from 2019 - 2021. These stations are partnered with a liturgy created by Rev. Kristen you can use to walk the stations on a prayerful journey of meditation on the sufferings of Jesus at any point you want during the season of Lent.
Holy Week
Beginning with Palm Sunday on April 13th and concluding with Easter Sunday on April 20th, Holy Week is the climax of the Christian year where we remember the Mighty Acts of Jesus from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem to His betrayal, Last Supper, and time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, his washing of His disciples’ feet, His crucifixion, and His resurrection from the dead. We will host special gatherings on Maundy Thursday from 6-8 PM and a Good Friday service at 6:30 PM. More details to come, but mark your calendars and save these dates to join us for these special days!
Additional Resources
Looking for more personal devotional resources for the season of Lent? Check out this wonderful Lenten Guide created by Rev. Kristen:
2025 Annual Meeting Report
Members of The Mission Cincinnati met on Sunday, February 23rd after worship for our 2025 Annual Congregational Meeting. Here are some highlights:
40 of our 64 voting members were in attendance with an additional 5 non-members attending.
The congregation voted unanimously to approve our 2025 Vestry Slate and Dave Goodwin & Lisa Hill begin their 3-year Vestry term effective immediately.
We also celebrated departing Vestry members Sarah Love & Erin Duncan who have now completed their term of service.
The congregation also voted (97% approve, 3% abstaining) to approve the proposed updates to our Code of Regulations, which are now in effect.
Our Vestry Treasurer Nathan Nichols shared a financial report, recapping 2024’s financial year and sharing our 2025 ministry budget.
We heard ministry areas reports including a Rector’s report, Pastoral Care & Discipleship Reports, Outreach & Engagement report, Children’s Ministry Report, Worship Report, and Sunday Serving Teams report.
All in all, it was a wonderful morning to celebrate God’s faithfulness to us as a church and look forward to all He will do among us in the year to come!
If you were not able to attend, you can read the financial report & ministry area reports available digitally via the link below:
We’re Hiring!
The Mission Cincinnati is seeking a proven leader to join our team and focus on helping us mature organizationally! Check out the hiring page including full job description, application & application process timeline using the link below! Questions? Contact william@missioncincinnati.org.
Announcing Rebekah & Shu-Li’s Staff Transition
Dear Mission Cincinnati Community,
This past Sunday, I announced that as of March 1st, 2025, Rebekah Burkhardt will be stepping off of staff, and Shu-Li Cheah, our current church administrator, will take over Rebekah’s former role as our new Worship Director.
I’m writing to share more about the context, process, and discernment that led to this transition.
First off, a bit about the Big Picture.
For the past 4 years, The Mission has grown numerically by about 20% each year. This growth is exciting fruit of our growing love for Jesus and each other. It also requires us to mature organizationally and increase our ministry capacity to shepherd well the people God is sending to us. This past summer, our Vestry initiated a staff task audit that sought to identify current staff responsibilities and future staffing needs. We concluded that we needed additional hours in administration, worship ministry, children’s ministry, and hospitality.
In the Fall, we shared these needs with the congregation, and the ensuring pledgeship process saw an outpouring of faith-filled generosity that has allowed us to add more than $70,000.00 to our 2025 ministry budget. As a result, this year we will:
1) Double our current compensated administrative hours
2) Increase compensated worship hours by 50%
3) Outsource bookkeeping & accounting
4) Increase all staff compensation closer to median salaries
5) Fund the launch of a new ministry offering for older elementary children
Second, how does this relate to Rebekah & Shu-Li?
In early 2024, Rebekah shared with me that while she loved leading our worship team, she lacked the capacity to give this role the time it needed. We began to plan for her transition off of staff. A few months later, Rebekah shared that she believed Shu-Li could be a great fit to take over the role. Rebekah and Shu-Li began discussions this summer while I was on Sabbatical. When I returned, the 3 of us continued the discernment process together. We officially offered Shu-Li the position in fall of 2024, and on Christmas Eve 2024, Shu-Li accepted the new position.
Shu-Li will be able to devote 50% more time to the worship role than Rebekah was able to give which will further develop the excellent musical worship culture Rebekah has been building. We will also immediately begin the search for a new Operations Manager staff position, funded for 25 hours/week, compared to Shu-Li’s old role that was funded for 10-15 hours/week.
We will celebrate and bless Rebekah & Shu-Li’s transitions in worship on Sunday, February 23rd. Shu-Li will continue to schedule Sunday morning volunteers until our new operations manager is in place. The rest of her responsibilities will be absorbed by current staff, delegated to new volunteer leaders, or outsourced.
I am so so grateful for Rebekah’s years of leading our worship team! She has laid a foundation of increasingly strong congregational singing, fostered a culture of growing love and friendship amongst our church musicians, and led with an inspirational passion for musical worship that is both rooted and spiritually alive. I am likewise excited for how the Lord will work through Shu-Li’s incredible musical expertise, administrative leadership, and ministry heart to continue to build on the foundation Rebekah has laid and move us forward. Praise God for His provision and grace in all these things!
Please pray for Rebekah, Shu-Li, and our staff during this time of transition.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me!
May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you His peace!
Fr. William
Spring Mission Communities Launching Now!
Exciting news, Mission Family! Our Spring Mission Communities are in the process of launching right now! Some are already getting started and others will begin in March, right at the start of Lent. If you are interested in diving deeper into community, while at the same time engaging prayer, spiritual conversation, and formation, consider joining one our groups. We have groups that meet weekly and monthly in various parts of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Listed below are all are groups. Click on the button below to find out more and to sign up. If you have any questions, reach out to Rev. Kristen at kristen@missioncincinnati.org.
Monthly Groups
· Cincinnati Community Group – Monthly 3rd Monday, 6:00 PM, Finneytown
· NKY Community Group – Monthly 2nd Saturday, 9:30 AM, Lakeside Park
· Men’s Fellowship Group – Monthly 2nd Friday, 7:30 PM, location varies
· Mom’s Fellowship Group –Monthly 3rd Saturday of the month, 8-10 PM, Bridgetown
Weekly Groups
· Norwood/Hyde Park Small Group - Tuesdays 7 PM
· Mt. Auburn Small Group – Thursday evenings 6:30 PM
· Men’s Bible Study – Wednesdays 7:30 PM, Church Lounge.
· Women's Bible Study - Sundays 11:30 AM after church, Prayer Room.
· Morning Prayer Group – TBD at church
To find out. more and to sign up, click on the button below!
About Our Epiphany Sanctuary Artwork
During the season of Epiphany, we will feature a new and seasonal collection of artwork by Argentinian artist Jorge Cocco Santángelo. Born in 1936, in Concepción del Uruguay, in Entre Rios, Argentina, Cocco is a self-taught artist whose mother said he would sleep with a pencil, and when she woke him up his bedding would be covered in markings. He won his first city-wide award at age 9, and His artwork has been featured internationally in galleries in Argentina, France, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, the UK, and the US. Cocco’s signature style of “sacro-cubism” brings sacred imagery from the Gospels to life through cubist artistic techniques.
Epiphany begins January 6th and concludes before Ash Wednesday. It is a season of MISSION, as we remember Jesus revealed as God to the Gentile magi who came to worship Him. It is also a season of REVELATION in which—like the magi—we seek Jesus for what He wants to reveal to us. The Cocco paintings in our sanctuary during Epiphany are scenes from the life of Jesus: Traditional Epiphany moments (Jesus’s Baptism, and the nativity), His mighty deeds (calming the storm & feeding the 5,000), and scenes from Jesus’s parables.
As you view these images, ask the Lord what He wants to reveal to YOU in these days: either about Himself, or His call on your life?
Artist Jorge Cocco Santángelo.
A Pastoral Hope for Entering Epiphany
The last first months of the calendar year are often a bizarre juxtaposition of mood and behavior for Americans. In December, we’re like the Whos of Who-ville on steroids: decorating, entertaining, and gift-giving to the point we often collapse across the finish-line of Christmas into the escapist la-la land of the week before New Year.
Then, the ball drops for a few seconds at midnight on December 31st and we instantaneously transform into the most type-A of embodied self-improvement projects, sharing inspiring quotes, going for runs, and making lists of goals we have for being our best selves in 202X.
It seems to me there’s a connection between December’s materialist escapism and January’s self-focused activism. We put as much effort as is humanly possible into finding satisfaction through stuff and food and people in December…and it didn’t work. Our souls still feel empty. And so we turn to a new idol: self-improvement. Let’s work as hard as we can to make ourselves better people…maybe that will work!
Spoiler alert: it won’t. What our souls need most is something we cannot conjure up on our own. We need a power from outside ourselves to make us new and bring the spiritual satisfaction we were created to receive and enjoy. It can’t come from stuff or striving. It can only come from Jesus.
And thus, God in His kindness and grace gives us Epiphany.
Epiphany is the season in the church calendar that begins on January 6th and ends as Ash Wednesday arrives. Epiphany is a season of MISSION. It begins as we remember the coming of the magi to worship the Christ child in the manger. In this moment, the Gospel was preached to Gentiles for the first time: Jesus was shown to be God to people outside the Jewish family! God with us has come for ALL of us! And His glory is made visible to ALL eyes in and through the incarnate Christ! Epiphany is also a season of REVELATION. Lectionary readings feature not only the magi beholding baby Jesus, by Jesus’s presentation at the Temple, Jesus’s baptism, and the transfiguration—moments that REVEAL that Jesus is FAR more than meets the eye! He is GOD in the flesh! He is God’s GLORY with human skin on. And He’s come into our story and lives with power from outside the human story to bring us what our souls most desperately need which we cannot earn for ourselves: salvation from sin, victory over death, healing of our hearts and planet, a new name of God’s beloved child, and a new purpose in life: to share the Good News of Jesus’s identity and coming Kingdom with all people so that they too might see and believe!
This Epiphany, we’ll lean into these themes as we preach through the Gospel of Matthew looking at the life and ministry of Jesus and the Compassionate Kingdom Jesus has come to bring. We’ll consider Christ’s character: the love of God for others He feels deeply and showcases powerfully. We’ll consider Christ’s message: what did it sound like when Jesus preached the Gospel? As we consider Jesus, we’ll also consider our church’s vision, mission, and values, praying for God to give US collectively fresh revelation of who He’s called us to be and fresh direction for the mission He’s called us to pursue in this New Year.
Our hope and prayer is that in addition to this being a season of COLLECTIVE revelation for us as a church, it would also be a season of PERSONAL revelation for you. May Jesus give you FRESH VISION to see Him in new and deeper ways. May He renew the calling He’s placed on your life…or call you to follow Him for the first time! May He bring satisfaction and hope to your heart in every place you need and desire. And may the fruit of all of this be joy as you—like the magi—leave every encounter with Him changed, going home “a different way.”
Let us pray…
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
- A Collect for the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, ACNA BCP 2019
Previewing the Season of Advent
On Sunday, December 1st, we will begin the church season of Advent. Advent is the Christian New Year. It is a 4-week season of waiting, longing, hope, repentance, and preparation, in which intentionally enter into the spiritual posture of Ancient Israel as they waited for God to send Jesus into the world (the first Advent). We also join with Christians throughout history and across the world today as we wait for Jesus to come back again and make all things new (the second Advent). Thus, Advent is a season for honestly confronting the hard parts of reality, even as we cultivate hope by remembering God’s promises. There are many ways we will intentionally press into this season as a church. Our Sunday services will include the lighting of Advent candles as well as the penitential order where we begin each Sunday with our confession and absolution. Our sermons will focus on texts from Israel’s minor prophets, we will gather weekly for evening prayer, share a special Selah mini-retreat with Advent themed visio divina & spiritual practice. We’ll have new Advent art in the sanctuary, and we’ll partner intentionally with RefugeeConnect. Finally, we’ll conclude our Advent journey with a Christmas Eve service of Lessons & Carols. Below is an introduction to everything you can expect during the season of Advent. We hope you’ll join us in these special seasonal rhythms as we prepare our hearts to receive Christ’s presence and love in a fresh way this Christmas.
Greening the Church - November 30th, 3 - 5 PM
Come join our church family as we put up the Christmas trees and hang the wreaths, boughs, and Advent art. We’ll also have cookies, hot chocolate, and Christmas music to enjoy. If you are able to come, please sign-up below.
Advent 2024 Guide For Adults & Families
Engage the Season of Advent with contemplative devotionals and fun activities for people of all ages. Each year, Mission puts out a seasonal guide that is chock full of resources to help us engage the season more deeply. You can find this year’s guide below.
Advent Evening Prayer – Wednesdays (4th, 11th, and 18th): 6-6:30PM Meal, 6:30-7:30 PM Prayer
Come join us for evening prayer. We’ll start off by sharing a meal with the folks from Grace downstairs in the fellowship hall. Then, we’ll pray evening prayer together in the sanctuary and close our time together with some contemplation on one of our Advent paintings. If you are not able to join us for the meal, still come for prayer.
Refugee Connect Festival of Lights Family Event on December 7th: 4- 7PM
Come join refugee families for a fun-filled time at the Cincinnati zoo. Volunteers will guide families around the zoo, help them get back to the bus at the end of the evening, and have fun! To sign up, click on the link below. As volunteer opportunities are limited for this particular event, if you are interested, do sign-up soon.
Advent Selah - Dec. 14th: 9:30-11:30 AM/Optional Contemplative time from 11:30AM-12:30PM
Come join Jamie Noyd and Lance Weisser for a beautiful, restful morning as we seek to enter deeply into the season of Advent by engaging in some contemplative practices. Click on the link to sign-up.
Walking the Advent Stations – Sundays, Wednesdays after Evening Prayer, 7:30 PM
Come walk the stations of Advent in our sanctuary. Feel free to do so just before or after Sunday worship, or if you are looking for a quieter time to engage them, feel free to come on Wednesday evenings after evening prayer. Rev. Kristen is willing to stay after prayer ends for anyone wanting to walk through all the stations. Just let her know. You can email her at kristen@missioncincinnati.org.
Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols | 12/24 @ 3 PM
Our Advent Journey concludes with a family-friendly Lessons & Carols celebration that will bring the Big Story of God’s salvation in Jesus to life through classic carols, candlelight, and communion. Join us for a beautiful celebration of Christ’s birth followed by a holiday cookie party!
Pastoral Letter From Fr. William
Greetings Mission Family,
Every November, we engage in two corporate rhythms—Pledgeship & Vestry Nominations—that lay the foundation for effective church leadership & decision-making in the year to come.
Through Pledgeship, every member and regular attender who calls our church home is invited to share their plans for financial giving to The Mission in 2025. Our staff and vestry use this information to plan our ministry budget for the coming year. Your prayerful participation in pledgeship helps our leadership make wise and accurate budgeting decisions.
Through Vestry Nomination, every church member is invited to nominate other qualified members of the church to serve on our Vestry. The Vestry is our church’s chief lay leadership team. The Vestry oversees church finances and operational life. They ensure our church stays in alignment with our vision and mission, and advise me on ministry strategy. Your prayerful participation in the Vestry Nomination process ensures we consider as many great leaders as possible to serve on our Vestry in the coming year. Each spring, two of our current Vestry members complete their terms of service and roll off the Vestry. We are trusting God to raise up two new leaders from amongst our current membership to begin new terms in their place.
These processes are as exciting and important! This is an amazing season in the life of our church. Every part of our community is growing. We need to fund our growing ministries as well as new, wise, lay leaders to help our staff steward and shepherd this growth.
Over the coming weeks, you will hear more about the Pledgeship & Vestry Nomination Processes. You will receive a mailed letter from our Vestry members, announcements will be made in service on Sunday, November 3rd, and lots of information including Vestry member qualifications, Pledgeship & Nomination FAQs, a description of the timeline for each process, and more will be shared in the Mission Minute and on other communication platforms. We’ll celebrate progress we’ve made so far this year as a maturing church plant in the areas of our finances and lay leadership development. We will also share vision for the opportunities God has placed before us to strengthen and move our church forward in 2025. Throughout this process, relationships and transparency are priorities for us. If you have any questions at any time, please come talk to one of our Vestry members or pastors.
The window for you to submit a pledge or make a nomination opens on Wednesday, November 6th and closes at the end of the day on Wednesday, November 20th.
I cannot wait to see how God will provide in and through us as we engage these rhythms together! To prepare our hearts, I ask you to join me in praying for God to inspire and align us, to give us faith and courage to step out in giving and nomination of leaders, and to provide abundantly, more than we could ask or imagine to exalt Jesus and reveal His Kingdom more and more through our church. To aid our prayers, here is a collect for The Mission of the Church from the 2019 Book of Common Prayer:
“O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your only begotten Son into the world, that all might live through Him: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill His command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you His peace,
Fr. William
Letter from Rev. Kristen: Helping with Hurricane Helene Relief
Hey Church Family,
I know that many of us have been grieving over the devastation and loss of life that Hurricane Helene has brought to Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Some of the stories and pictures coming out in the aftermath of the storm are truly horrific, and many in the region are struggling.
In our greater Anglican family, there are churches like Redeemer Ashville who are hosting worship services without power and water, while at the same time doing what they can to care for their community. Similarly, the Vine Anglican church, a church west of Ashville, is seeking to help connect their community to needed resources, while they themselves pick up the pieces all around them. And, unfortunately, there are also many other churches in our Anglican family and in our greater Christian family who are in similar situations.
With this all happening, some of you may be wondering if there are ways for us to help, and yes there are! While there are many organizations doing good work at the moment, one of them I wanted to commend to you is the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF), which is the relief arm of the ACNA.
Currently, the ARDF is working on the ground to get much needed resources to communities who need it. They are doing this in a number of ways, including giving Go Grants to churches who want to drive supplies and resources into the region. For example, Christ Church Montgomery has just sent a trailer to North Carolina to get supplies to The Vine Anglican. (And by the way, I know the priests of both Christ Church and the Vine, and so it is wonderful to see these caring connections happening.) The ARDF is also working in other ways, for example creating teams of volunteers who can go into the region to help in the ways that are most needed.
ARDF is a great organization, and their grassroots efforts make a difference all over the world, and I know they are already making a great difference in the communities most affected by Helene. So, if you would like to assist in their efforts, you can click on the link below. You’ll have an opportunity to find out more about what ARDF is doing, as well as to donate, volunteer, and read stories about our Anglican brothers and sisters in the aftermath of this storm.
Thanks in advance for your compassion and care!
Blessings,
Rev. Kristen Yates
Partnering with RefugeeConnect: Fall Family Fun Day & More Opportunities!
On October 26th, we will have an opportunity to participate in RefugeeConnect’s Family Fall Fun Day. This will be a great way to spend time with refugee families living in the Greater Cincinnati area as they learn about life on the farm and participate in fun Fall activities. If you or your family would like to go, please sign up by clicking on the link below so that RefugeeConnect knows that you are coming. Also let our point person, Christine Mitchell, know that you are coming so that she can meet you at the farm that morning. You can email her at christine@missioncincinnati.org.
Truly, we are very excited about this opportunity, as well as other opportunities that will be coming up in November and December when we’ll officially partner with RefugeeConnect as our Mission Partner for the season. So, stay tuned.
This will include Kristin Burgoyne, their director, coming to speak to us on November 24th, both in service and after service. She will tell us all about how they provide connections between various refugee organizations in the region and how they connect refugees to needed resources, including winter coats, help with becoming U.S. citizens, help with applying to college, and more. During this season, we’ll also have an opportunity to contribute funds to their work through the giving of our loose offerings during the Offertory on Sunday mornings. Additionally, we’ll have another opportunity to spend time with refugee families at the Zoo’s Festival of Lights (probably in early January).
So do come to the Family Fall Fun Day, and if in the meantime, you are interested in hearing more about RefugeeConnect or would like to participate in a group dedicated to expanding our compassionate outreach to refugees in the region, reach out to Rev. Kristen at kristen@missioncincinnati.org.
Sunday Worship In Ordinary Time | What To Expect
Summer Sermon Series
This summer, we’ll preach many of Jesus’s parables, exploring what parables were, what Jesus’s parables meant, and how they can transform our lives. Join us Sundays 5/26 - 9/1 for our summer series “Stories With Intent: The Parables of Jesus”
Summer Liturgical Changes
You will notice some small changes to our Sunday service liturgy this summer during ordinary time. These changes will bring our services fully into line with the Renewed Ancient Text of the ACNA’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer. While some of these changes may take some getting used to, we believe over time they’ll make our services more beautiful, allow worship to flow more naturally, and more robustly root our church in the shared worship of Christ’s followers throughout history and across the world today! Click the links below to read a full explanation of changes and to view the summer liturgy in its entirity:
Ordinary Time Sanctuary Artwork
The seasons from Advent through Pentecost focus on the life & ministry of Jesus. Ordinary time—the church season beginning after Pentecost and continuing through Advent—focuses on the power of God at work in and through the church to reveal God’s Kingdom. Sometimes this work of God in us is miraculous, but more often it is slow and seemingly ordinary. This collection of images called “Ordinary Time” was created by Durham, NC artist Sayde Laine in collaboration with Bellweather Arts, a liturgical collaborative of writers, musicians, and visual artists. These images are showcase the beauty we sometimes miss, yet remains very much present, in the ordinary, everyday activities and places of our lives. We invite you to spend time this season considering these pieces of art and whether any particularly draw your attention. Why do you think this piece draws you? Does it lead you to any focus of prayer? Such a practice can help us attend to what pastor M Craig Barnes calls “the sacred mystery of God” always at work, even in the midst of the ordinary places of our lives!
Summer 2024 Community & Formation Opportunities
Summer is almost upon us, and we have plenty of opportunities to connect in relaxed and low-key spaces during the months of June, July & August. These include weekly community meals & evening prayer, 2 mini pilgrimages, 1 summer Selah, and of course our always popular Dinners for Nine. We would love for you to join us! Click the button for full calendar, details, and links to sign-ups. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Rev. Kristen at kristen@missioncincinnati.org.
Dinner & Evening Prayer
Every Wednesday from June 12 - August 14
Join us each Wednesday for a community meal with Grace UMC at 6 PM in the downstairs Fellowship Hall.
Join Albert Gustafson for Evening Prayer from the 2019 Book of Common Prayer from 6:45-7:30 PM in the Prayer Room.
Come for both gatherings or come for just one. Drop in once or twice during the summer or come every week. We look forward to being with you!
Summer Mini Pilgrimages and Selah
Saturday June 1: 10-11:30 AM (Mini Pilgrimage at LaBoiteaux Woods Nature Preserve): Join Jamie Noyd and Lance Weisser for a chance to slow down, walk with God, and be led into stories of scripture and places & prayer and community. Children are welcome. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch for afterwards.
Sunday July 7: 12:30-2 PM (Mini Pilgrimage at Ault Park): Join Jamie Noyd and Lance Weisser for another chance to slow down, walk with God, and be led into stories of scripture and places & prayer and community. Children are welcome. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch for before the pilgrimage.
Saturday, July 27: 10-12:30 PM (Selah at the Goodwin’s Home in Montgomery): Join Rev. Kristen on the beautiful back porch and yard of the Goodwin’s home in Montgomery. We’ll have a quiet morning of meditation on Scripture, conversation, time outside in God’s Creation, and a light lunch.
For more information and to sign-up, click on the buttons below.
Dinners for Nine
Throughout the Summer, families and individuals in our church host weekly meals for 9 adults (and sometimes children in addition). These are a great ways to spend time with each other in a low-key way. This is our summer schedule:
For more details and to sign-up, click the button below.
More On Our Eastertide Preaching Series
Jesus’s resurrection in history is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.
It’s such a big deal that followers of Jesus throughout history and across the world today celebrate Christ’s resurrection not just on the single day of Easter Sunday, but for a season of 50 days known as Eastertide that begins on Easter Sunday and continues until Pentecost.
This year, at The Mission Cincinnati, we’ll press into these themes of celebration and new life through an Eastertide preaching series we’re calling “Resurrection Habits.”
In this series we’ll explore how the resurrection makes a difference in our daily lives, by considering a series of practices, characteristics, or habits which Christ’s resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit enable us to live out.
Habit has two meanings. We likely hear habit and think of things like daily exercise, eating well, or drinking enough water. This is the first meaning of habit: something good (or bad) you intentionally practice day by day until it becomes a regular part of your life.
But habit can also mean CLOTHES. The special robes a monk or nun wears are called habits. Habits function like a work, team, or school uniform to mark someone out from among the rest of humanity for a particular purpose.
An order of monks from Australia explains the meaning of the monk’s habit like this:
“The Police wear uniforms. The staff in a shop have badges. Construction workers have orange vests. Doctors have coats and stethoscopes. A Monk also wears a habit as his work uniform, but a habit is much more…the religious habit shows forth an inner consecration. Religious profession sets a monk apart. He becomes a consecrated person. He belongs in a very particular way to God. Although the habit does not make the monk, the habit expresses fundamentally that the monk is different…He is not supposed to live like everyone else. He is called to live a life totally dedicated to God…He becomes a living reminder that God exists, that there is something more.”
Not all followers of Jesus are called to be monks or nuns. Not all of us will literally wear different clothes because of our faith. But ALL of us as Christ followers are called to a similar set-apartness in the world. We are called to put on new spiritual clothes by virtue of our faith in the resurrected Jesus. Spiritual habits: ways we live and act that mark us out as different in the world and show that our lives are dedicated to God and not to ourselves.
Naming these habits, and considering how Jesus’s resurrection empowers us to live them out is what our Eastertide journey is all about!
We hope you’ll join us in these weeks, and we pray the fruit of this journey is that we all would look more like Jesus, and that our lives too might become living reminders to others that God exists, that there is something more, and that all are invited to come and know Christ!
Experience Holy Week With Us!
Holy Week which begins on Palm Sunday and concludes on Easter Sunday is the most sacred time in the church calendar. At the Mission, we have special gatherings & services planned for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Save the dates and times below so you can join us for these special services as we contemplate the mighty acts by which Jesus wrought our salvation!
1) Palm Sunday - Sunday 3/24 - 10 AM - 2221 Slane Ave. 45212
A special service of worship that begins with a special processional with waving palm branches as we remember Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We also begin to prepare our hearts to remember the events of Jesus’s suffering and death.
2) Maundy Thursday - Thursday 3/28 - 6-8 PM - 2221 Slane Ave. 45212
Maundy, short for the Latin mandatum, references Jesus command to His followers to serve others as He served them. We’ll gather for a special interactive evening that offers foot washing, prayer, a space to discuss spiritual formation, and a space to rest and connect with others. You are welcome to come and go as you please and spend time in one or all of our different settings.
3) Stations of the Cross - Friday 3/29 - noon - 2221 Slane Ave 45212
Our sanctuary will be open during the lunch hour for you to journey the Stations of the Cross. Please register for a time using the link below so our pastors know you are coming!
Good Friday - Friday 3/29 - 6:30 PM - 2221 Slane Ave. 45212
Our most solemn service of the year in which we remember the events of Jesus’s crucifixion and death. We will come close to the cross of Christ through music, liturgy, and a message. You are welcome to stay after to pray or travel the stations of the cross in the sanctuary.
4) Easter Sunday - Sunday 3/31 - 10 AM - 2221 Slane Ave. 45212
The sorrow of Good Friday turns to exultant joy on Easter Sunday as we remember the glorious truth at the core of our faith: that Jesus is alive and God has raised Him from the dead in power and glory! Come celebrate with us in one service where kids are welcome to join families in worship.
NOTE | No Mission Nursery or Godly Play will be offered during any of these special gatherings so that families can worship together.
We can’t wait to welcome you with us as we remember the mighty acts by which Jesus brought us salvation!